September 8, 2014 Blue Springs, Missouri

Dear Family, 

It sounds like everyone is doing well and will be having a fun weekend up in Kelowna to celebrate Chris's birthday :) So transfer calls have come and gone and funny story, so when transfer calls came we were listening to the transfer roster and just as the Assistant said, "okay Liberty South Zone here is your transfer roster", we heard a "beep..... message deleted". Sister Barrow accidentally hit number 7 and deleted our transfer message before we could even listen to it, looking back it was pretty hilarious and we had to ask the zone leaders to forward it to us again, haha! So, in the message it said I would be going to Blue Springs 1st ward. I paused for a second because I knew that Blue Springs 2nd ward was a Visitor Center area, but I knew as soon as they said Blue Springs 1st ward that I would be going out full proselyting again. I felt a little disappointment at first, but it was almost instantly replaced with calmness and a reassurance that God knows me better than myself and that He knows what will truly bring me the most happiness and joy especially in my last two transfer on my mission. So I decided to move forward with excitement, enthusiasm and trust that the Lord really knows what He is doing with me, haha! 

This area is incredible! I have loved serving here for the last 4 days. Sister Kang, my new companion is amazing! She is from Korea, has been out for 9 months, speaks perfect English and she is really funny and so sweet. We both always talk about how we feel really comfortable around each other and can really be ourselves around one another. We have already become best friends. Sister Kang works so hard! She has such a deep desire to truly work her hardest and be better. Sometimes she doesn't see how great she is and gets too hard on herself, and I hope that this transfer I can help her see how incredible of a missionary she really is. I have been praying for a companion who doesn't just want to work hard but does from 6:30am-10:00pm and she is that companion. She works so hard, I love it! We both really push each other to be better because we can see that both of us are truly doing are best! It has been so great planning at the end of the night and being able to look at each other and know that we truly have done all that we can do, and left the rest to the Lord and see the miracles from the day.

We've talked a lot about struggles we have had in previous companionships and how this companionship has just been super smooth from the very beginning. We definitely have the same kind of sense of humor and I think that helps a lot. The other day the zone leaders asked us for the miles and sister Kang was trying to add them up and was struggling to figure it out and finally said, " I should be able to do this", and I couldn't help but say back in agreement to her, " ya, c'mon sister Kang, I thought you were Asian". Hahaha, it was so funny! We all laughed so hard! Anyways we are getting along so well, we are seeing so many miracles and I love that at the end of the night we help each other see the good in one another and talk about how blessed me feel to be companions with one another. We are both praying that we will be together for the next two transfers. With sister Kang, our companionship is 100% all-in and it is awesome!! 

Also, sister Kang wants to exercise and eat healthy. I'm so excited because my last two companions haven't liked to exercise and we were on the top floor of our apartment so doing my P-90X was hard because the floors are paper thin so it would disturb the neighbors. But now we are in a duplex, so I can do P-90X and Sister Kang wants to do it with me. We already did two days together and it has been awesome! We even get up earlier at 6:15am to do it :)  We are doing the " 40 Day Challenge" together. Sister Kang wants to lose 6lbs by the end of this transfer and her reward is she will get to redye her hair, haha! I want to lose more than that, but we will see how it goes. We have been eating super healthy and exercising :) We are excited to help each other in all our goals, spiritual and physical ;)

Another funny thing is that this one elder and I have been circling each other throughout the mission. We started served together in Independence 2nd ward for my last transfer, then he we served in Liberty 1st ward together for my first transfer and he was my district leader and now we are serving together again in Blue Springs 1st ward and he is my zone leader. Its been a ton of fun being able to update him on the people in Liberty and the miracles that have happened over the last two transfers there. Most likely this is his last transfer in this area because his companion goes home same time as me, so they will probably boot Elder Robinson out and bring a new zone leader in, haha! 

Anyways, this sunday we had a mission fast and the purpose behind it was supposed to be for gratitude. We found out last month our mission was blessed to have 57 baptisms for the month of August. It was really cool because for my studies yesterday I was actually in Alma chapter 26 in the Book of Mormon so it was wonderful being able to relate to Ammon about how glorious God is and how much he loves us. Over the last two days. We found two new investigators. One of them was a man named M and we were pretty much able to teach him the entire Message of the Restoration on his doorstep. He seemed pretty sincere as he was listening and Sister Kang and I are really excited to go back and teach him more this week and see how he felt about the Book of Mormon. Also, we have two investigators on date. One of them is Polynesian and we will have to move her date because she is so busy she hasn't been able to meet with us for a week. The other investigator is named K. She is so solid and super excited for her baptismal date on October 11th. We have started teaching her the commandments and she is so willing to do whatever we invite her to do. She is currently working on living the word of wisdom. She has gone from smoking 20 cigarettes a day down to 4, and she is doing awesome! She has a very good step by step plan of how she will quit so she can make her date. We are so excited for her! 

Also guess what?! J S is getting BAPTIZED!!!! I found out at transfers that S moved out of the house and he will be getting baptized the first or second weekend of October!!! I am soooo excited! I really hope that K's baptism and J's baptism won't conflict, because otherwise I won't be able to go to J's baptism. But, I am so excited and can't wait to find out when he will actually be getting baptized. Anyways, things are going great! We are keeping really busy the Blue Springs 1st ward is like a gold-mine it has so much hidden potential :) Its funny, my MTC companions sister Anderson is serving in my old area Independence 2nd ward and I am serving in her old area that she opened. I love it here! I hope I never leave and that Sister Kang and I will get to stay together. I feel so blessed and I know that the Lord has truly blessed me and I know that this is where I am supposed to be. 

Alma 26:35
"Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began; yea, and my joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God; for He has all power, all wisdom, and all understanding...".

How Great is God!!

I hope you all have a great week, know that I am doing AWESOME and am so happy! Heavenly Father truly knows each of us and what is best! When we go forward with faith and trust in Him we will see the blessings. Sister Kang is taking care of me and we are going to go out and baptize nations! Love you!

Sister Luening